The Planning Board is an elected body created for the purpose of protecting the safety, convenience, and welfare of the inhabitants of Freetown by regulating the laying out and construction of ways in subdivisions and ensuring sanitary conditions in subdivisions and in proper cases parks and open areas.

The powers of the Planning Board under the Subdivision Control Law shall be exercised with due regard for the provision of adequate access to all of the lots in a subdivision by ways that will be safe and convenient for travel; for lessening congestion in such ways and in the adjacent public ways; for reducing danger to life and limb in the operation of motor vehicles; for securing safety in the case of fire, flood, panic and other emergencies; for ensuring compliance with the Town of Freetown zoning ordinances and by laws; for securing adequate provision for water, sewerage, drainage, underground utility services, fire, police, and other similar municipal equipment, and street lighting and other requirements where necessary in a subdivision; and for coordinating the ways in a subdivision with each other and with the public ways in Freetown and with the ways in neighboring subdivisions.

It is the intent of the Subdivision Control Law that any subdivision plan filed with the Planning Board shall receive the approval of such Board if said plan conforms to the recommendation of the Board of Health and to the reasonable Rules and Regulations of the Planning Board pertaining to subdivisions of land; provided, however, that such board may, when appropriate, waive, as provided for in Section 81 R, such portions of the Rules and Regulations as is deemed advisable.

To view the agenda for an upcoming Planning Board meeting, please click here.